Name: Kelly ClarkD.O.B.: 7/26/1983Stance: RegularSponsors: Burton, Mammoth Mountain, Bose, US Snowboarding, Soothsay MINIInstagram: @thekellyclarkFacebook: Kelly ClarkPlans for 2015/2016: Plans for this winter: I will do the main halfpipe events throughout the season. I am hoping to sneak away on some pow trips in-between. I am participating in Kimmy Fasani's event this year as well. My big goal for the season is to get better at snowboarding; that is the big picture plan. Photo: Aaron Blatt

"Been killing forever. Chick blasts. " - JP Walker

Photo: Aaron Blatt

"Kelly is 32 years old and is still on the top of her game. One of the most impressive accomplishments a pro can achieve is longevity. To stay on the top and remain their for years is something very, very few snowboarders are able to do. " - Eddie Wall

Kelly Clark is a humble champion. Her down-to-earth demeanor belies the fact that she regularly spends time overhead and her aptitude for amplitude has allowed her to collect more gold than a western prospector at the turn of the nineteenth century. Since this Vermont-native first put on a contest bib in 1999, she has gone on to earn more top three appearances than anyone else in snowboarding. Ever. We will say that again: Kelly Clark is the winningest snowboarder, male or female, in the history of our sport. In the realm of competing, few other professional snowboarders come close to the legacy that Kelly commands. Take it from Eddie Wall, former Forum street savant turned knowledgeable snow announcer, “Kelly is thirty-two years old and is still on the top of her game. One of the most impressive accomplishments a pro can achieve is longevity. To stay on the top and remain there for years is something very, very few snowboarders are able to do.” Even more impressive than her thirteen precious metals from X Games (nine of which are gold), four appearances and three medals in the Olympics since 2002, four World Snowboard Tour titles, five Grand Prix overall titles, and eight wins at the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships, is the fact that each time Kelly drops in she is upping her own personal ante. There’s zero complacency in Kelly’s riding. Every winter she offers up bigger airs, bigger spins and new trick combinations within the walls of the pipe and it is this dedication to continually improving her craft that not only makes her a winner, but fosters respect within the ranks of her peers. JP Walker, another professional who can lay claim to an illustrious and continuingly progressive career sums it up succinctly, saying Kelly has “Been killing forever. Chick blasts.” Now Kelly can add another award to her list of decorates, #3 Female Rider in SNOWBOARDER’s 2016 Rider of the Year. Fellow Mammoth local and backcountry stalwart Eric Jackson echoes a common sentiment about the longtime Burton rider, “I have mad respect for Kelly.” As Kelly continues her reign in well-groomed transition, as well as stepping out into the backcountry when not on the circuit, she also is dedicated to giving back to snowboarding. In 2010, Kelly founded The Kelly Clark Foundation, a non-profit that awards scholarships to young snowboarders to help them further reach their dreams. Since the foundation’s inception, over $100,000 has been awarded, a massive contribution to the future of snowboarding. As we head into another competition season for winter 2016, we have no doubt that we will continue looking up to Kelly, as a dedicated member of the snowboarding community whose accomplishments and accolades run deep, and of course, from the deck of the halfpipe as she boosts high overhead each time she drops in.

At its core, this ranking is intended to celebrate the riders who were the most exceptional professional snowboarders from December 1st, 2014 to November 31st, 2015. These riders are recognized for the fundamental responsibilities of being a professional snowboarder. This is based strictly upon the amount and quality of video parts, contest results and magazine coverage with an emphasis on diversity of terrain and discipline variance. Ideally, this process brings us to the individuals who most influenced the progression of snowboarding on a consistent basis over the course of this past season.
For 2016, our Rider of the Year award rollout will once again be an exclusively digital happening. Each weekday from Monday, January 4th until Monday January 25th, SNOWBOARDER will highlight a different rider’s achievement, culminating with the ultimate praise of naming our 2016 Rider of the Year.
The following icons are those whose opinions and votes were submitted in order for SNOWBOARDER to arrive at our 2016 Rider of the Year tally: Danny Kass, Sage Kotsenburg, Austen Sweetin, Ståle Sandbech, Scott Stevens, Leanne Pelosi, Jake Blauvelt, Mikkel Bang, Travis Parker, Bode Merrill, Louif Paradis, Torstein Horgmo, Mikey Rencz, Eero Ettala, Eddie Wall, Jeremy Jones, Andreas Wiig, Gigi Rüf, Marie-France Roy, Chad Otterstrom, Mark McMorris, Kevin Jones, Jamie Anderson, Ross Powers, Halldór Helgason, Jess Kimura, Mark Sollors, Eric Jackson, Danny Davis, Annie Boulanger, Hana Beaman, John Jackson, Wolle Nyvelt, Lukas Huffman, JP Walker, David Carrier Porcheron, Scotty Lago, Dan Brisse, Pat Moore, Devun Walsh, Nicolas Müller, Romain De Marchi, Chas Guldemond, Cheryl Maas and Frederik Kalbermatten.